SPARTA TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) — A woman reported missing Friday afternoon near Ryker Lake in Sparta Township was located safely after an extensive search involving multiple law enforcement and emergency agencies, according to police.
Police said they were contacted around 1 p.m. regarding a missing female who had last been seen near Ryker Lake about an hour earlier. Officers immediately began searching the area and found the woman unharmed in a heavily wooded area off Ryker Lake.
She told officers she had become lost while hiking in the area, police said.
The department credited Detective Pletcher of the Sparta Township Police Department with locating the woman and extended gratitude to all agencies that assisted in the search and rescue effort.
Those agencies included the New Jersey State Police, Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Sparta Township Fire Department, Sparta Township Ambulance Squad, Maywood Police Department K9 Unit, and the Sparta Police Dispatch Center.
In a statement, police thanked all responders for their teamwork and quick response, which they said helped ensure the woman’s safe return.
